Transcript Get The Toy Bag Monkey Off You Back!

Get The Toy Bag Monkey
Off You Back!
Marla Garstka
Michelle Clyne
IAER 2015
Brought to you by…
Today we hope to
• Discuss reasons use of a toy bag should be
thought about carefully for each family served
• Learn/review recommended practices that
support family confidence and child outcomes
when used during home-based early intervention
sessions
• Participate in small group role playing of
discussions one might have with families unused
to a coaching-based family-driven intervention
model
Division of Early Childhood
Recommended Practices for EI/EC
• E1. Practitioners provide services and supports in
natural and inclusive environments during daily
routines and activities to promote the child’s access
to and participation in learning experiences.
• F6. Practitioners engage the family in opportunities
that support and strengthen parenting knowledge
and skills and parenting competence and confidence
in ways that are flexible, individualized, and tailored
to the family’s preferences.
Division of Early Childhood
Recommended Practices for EI/EC
• INS5. Practitioners embed instruction within and
across routines, activities, and environments to
provide contextually relevant learning opportunities.
• INS13. Practitioners use coaching or consultation
strategies with primary caregivers or other adults to
facilitate positive adult-child interactions and
instruction intentionally designed to promote child
learning and development.
http://www.dec-sped.org/recommendedpractices
Article in your Handouts
Blog: Problems with the Toy Bag:
Robin McWilliam
http://naturalenvironments.blogspot.com/2007
/10/toy-bags.htmlrelated to
Toy Bag Realities
Working from the
bag implies that
the one hour a
week between the
visitor and the
child is the
intervention
Adults are better
equipped to learn
from a one hour
weekly session
and use that
information for
the rest of the
week.
Toy Bag Realities
The toy bag
implies that what
the family has is
inadequate
Home visits
should be about
reinforcing the
family’s feelings of
competence
Toy Bag Realities
If the toys in the bag
are so important to
the child’s
development, why
are they removed
from the home at
the end of the hour?
Home visits should
prepare the family
to provide the real
intervention during
regular routines
throughout the
child’s entire day,
week, and month.
Toy Bag Realities
Toy bag play tends
to be 80%
adult/child/toy
interaction.
In real life, most
families spend
little time with
adult/child/toy
interactions
during daily
routines (5-15%)
Marla’s Story
In the Beginning
Later on (but we
won’t say how
much later…)
Marla spoke with her families
• Mixed group of about 15 families
• Asked open-ended questions about what
they thought about toys coming into the
home
And the survey said….
• All of them LIKED the toys she brought
• She brought toys that were new, and they
liked seeing something new
• They felt kids were getting new skills, or a new
angle on a previous skill
• They felt it was something a DT-Vision would
bring in as opposed to another early
interventionist
Back to the Blog
• When Robin posted his article, there were
MANY responses, both some that agreed and
some that disagreed.
• Some were from newcomers to the field,
some from people with many years of
experience.
• Here are some examples.
Mary said...
I have often had to "wean" families off of the toy bag
expectation. I use this as an opportunity to talk about
meaningful learning opportunities (daily routines) and
help them support their child with those- … asking
questions about "What they notice when..." and, among
many other things, adapting an interaction, (or how a toy
or other household material may be utilized) to make
growth toward outcomes. I have never had a family (after
two or three "weaning sessions") ask for the toy bagthey usually are too delighted in the increased
competence, engagement and/or participation on the
part of the child and an increase in their confidence in
supporting their child.
Sonia Pina said...
I'm currently doing my student teaching
and I have found that bags are fun for
children. The EI usually takes a bag for
children and leaves it for at least a month. I
work with some families that don't have
many resources to buy toys or need
assistance in finding adequate toys. I think
that this is a good use of toy bags.
Steven said...
Wow, someone really has strong feelings about NOT
BRINGING TOYS to a home visit. I agree with some
of what was said. However, in the beginning I do
not see anything wrong with bringing a few toys to
help break the ice with the child you are seeing in
the house. In addition, I would think that you could
use the toys to help provide service to the child and
to model for the family on how they can play and
teach the child. Then, you can slowly fade the toys
away.
Lisa Henggeler said...
• Maybe we could meet in the middle!!! Although
my experience is in a center based program, is it
possible to expose the child to both teacher
provided toys and home toys and let the child
decide? Don't we take our lead from the child? If
the child's preference is the teachers, perhaps the
teacher could leave it at the home for a short
period of time.
Sarah said...
• I see do see the points you are making
however I feel most of us cannot go from
bringing toy bags to not having them at all. It
is a little discouraging to read the blog, maybe
we as professionals need some more ideas on
how transition to no bags or have a happy
medium. I feel there needs to be more
discussion on the in between areas. I feel
there is room for bags and no bags.
Why Do We Love the Toy Bag?
•
•
•
•
•
Curriculum
Resources
Skills
Lesson Planning
Assessment (ongoing)
Does the Bag become the Focus of the
Intervention?
• Do the children play with toys at the expense
of opportunities for interaction?
• Do we not take advantage of opportunities for
natural routines?
• Are parent questions about other situations
not answered within those situations?
• Are you relegated to the “nicest” room in the
house, where the toy bag lands, instead of the
rooms where real life happens?
Transition Ideas – Let’s Build this Together
• Start with a New Family
Questions? And Evals